What If?
by Morningstar-Girl
Summary: What if Future Lucy didn't jump in front of Rogue's attack? If Natsu watched his best friend die before his eyes? How would he take it? Would would happen? Or, was it an illusion created by his fear of loosing the one he cherishes the most? One-Shot. Sorry for not working on my other stories, working on it.


_**What If?**_

He couldn't possibly get to her in time. Neither could her other self. That damn bastard…That sword thing shot past Natsu, aimed for her.

The Dragon Slayer ran to her. He reached out to her, calling her name.

"LUCY!"

Tears streamed down both Lucys' faces. They knew she couldn't dodge. They knew that Natsu couldn't save her. It wasn't possible. Even with his speed, there was no way he would reach her in time. It was the end of the line for her, Lucy Heartfilia.

Carla clung to Wendy's leg, hiding her tears to stay strong for the younger Dragon Slayer, and keeping the sobbing girl at bay. Happy's wings disappeared as he slowly descended to the ground. His eyes glued to the blonde.

Lucy's fist relaxed at her side. Tears continued to stream down her porcelain cheeks as she smile to everyone around her.

"Goodbye, everyone…Goodbye," she whispered so only one other would hear, "_Natsu_…"

"_LUCY!_" the fire dragon slayer yelled.

Blood splattered everywhere, from Present and Future Lucy. Natsu stopped in his tracks, the sweet smell of Lucy's scent mixed with her blood choked him, almost making him gag. He watched her body hit the ground with the black blade still embedded in her stomach. He breathed heavily as a pool of blood formed around her, mixing with her paling skin and golden hair. Her brown eyes were dulling.

Natsu managed to run to her side and grabbed her hand. The Dragon Slayer was on the verge of tears as he tried to control his breathing. He gently rested his hand on the black sword.

"Lucy, Lucy! Look at me!" She stared at him with pained eyes. "I'm gonna pull out the sword, okay? It's gonna hurt a lot but, please, put up with it, okay?"

Lucy slowly nodded, closing her eyes to prepare for the upcoming pain.

Natsu turned to the sword and gently pulled the sword out of her. She twitched and squired under the pain.

"GAHHH! ERNNN!" she screamed. "_Natsu!"_

"I'm sorry Lucy…I'm so sorry!" Natsu begged, his voice cracking from sobs he tears to conceal. He turned to the others. The Exceeds were looking to the other Lucy as Wendy ran to his Lucy in tears. "Wendy! Wendy please!"

"I-I'll try my best!" Wendy placed her glowing hands on the wound and began to work.

Rogue chuckled. Natsu's eyes widened and he stood up. Natsu cracked his neck before glaring to him with rage in his onyx eyes.

"What's so funny Bastard?"

"Ho? I made you angry, didn't I?" Rogue taunted. "No mater what you do, nothing will save Lucy Heartfilia. My shadows have implanted themselves into her body. _Nothing_ will save her-"

Natsu ran up to Rogue and punched him with a flaming fist. His entire body was covered in flames. Rogue looked to Natsu's fiery eyes.

"Going to kill me? That won't change anything! Lucy will die and the gate will open as planned!"

"She won't die! I promise she won't!" Natsu yelled. _I promised I won't leave you Lucy…Do the same for me…_

Rogue laughed. "You can't possibly be able to! Even with your strength, you're not enough to-"

Natsu rammed the Shadow Dragon Slayer into a wall. Rogue coughed up blood. The Fire Dragon Slayer's face was filled with pure hatred and rage. He grabbed Rogue's neck and stated crushing his throat. The other slayer clawed at Natsu's hand.

"This-_gah_-won't change anything Dragneel!" Rogue gasped. "The human race will die soon enough! Everyone you know will die! That celestial maiden you hold so dear…will be the first."

Natsu tightened his grip on Rogue's neck before bashing his head further into the wall. Rogue's throat was cracking but Natsu kept pressing harder.

"_I_ will stop those dragons. I will save Fairy Tail," Natsu declared. He gripped tightened again, Rogue's throat was on the brink of breaking. "Most of all Rogue…_I WILL SAVE LUCY AND OUR FUTURE IF IT COSTS ME MY LIFE!_"

Rogue smirked, "I'd like to see you t-" A slight crack echoed in the tunnel. The Shadow Dragon Slayer's head fell to the side and Natsu let go of the body.

_I will protect everyone. I will save Lucy…I have to…_

"N-Natsu!" Happy cried.

In an instant, Natsu was by Lucy's side again. Lines made of shadows were on her stomach where the sword was. Wendy wasn't able to heal it as the shadows were pushing her healing magic away. The younger slayer's hands were getting shaky and she was overworking herself once again. Carla was worried. The Future Lucy was leaning again the wall for support as Panther Lily looked after her. Happy was nuzzling his head into Lucy's arm.

"W-Wendy…" Lucy whispered. "It's no use. Wendy, pl-please…"

"No! I-I won't give up!" Wendy yelled. "Y-you'll be fine Lucy-san…I will…I…"

Natsu placed his warm hand on Wendy's. She looked up, his face was covered by his hair and he was looking at Lucy's. He shook his head. "Stop it Wendy."

Wendy had ore tears falling from her eyes. "Natsu…san…" She pulled her hand onto her lap.

"Natsu, my keys," Lucy said.

"Eh…" He unbuckled her keys from her belt and gave them to her.

She was choking up as she took them from him. Lucy brought them to her lips and kissed them. She held them to Wendy.

"Take them to Yukino. She will know what to do with them," both Lucys said. "Yukino will know whether or not to let the Eclipse Project run."

"Lucy-san?"

"Their minds are becoming one," Carla said.

"Eh?! Why?!" Happy asked.

"Our Lucy is dying, which means Future Lucy shouldn't exist. Essentially, the she-cat said, "Future Lucy is our Lucy now as well."

Both Lucys smiled softly. "It seems that way."

"But…what will happen to your spirits Lucy?! Without your keys, what will Fairy Tail have left of you?!" Natsu asked.

"They will stay with Fairy Tail, as Fairy Tail is a part of me and I a part of it. They have all agreed to wait till someone is able to wield them."

"How will we know Lucy?"

Lucy raised her hand, shakily, to Natsu's cheek. Natsu held her hand with his own. "You will know."

Natsu nodded as he sighed. He looked to the other, "Wendy, Carla, go with Lily.

"Natsu."

"I…I'll stay with Lucy," he said. "…Till the end…" He whispered the last past.

Lily nodded. "Let's go, Carla, Wendy."

The white exceed nodded, pulling on Wendy. "Come, Wendy."

"But…but Lucy-san!"

"Live for me Wendy…That's all I asked from everyone…"

Carla wrapped her tail around Wendy's waist, extending her wings and flying down the corridor.

"LUCY!"

"I'm sorry…"

Lucy turned to Natsu. His eyes were weary and teary and red. His breathing was heavy. He was shaking. She started stroking his cheek.

"Natsu…"

"Luce…" Natsu bent his head, and rested in on her chest. His body shook uncontrollably. "You…you can't leave…Not Fairy Tail…Not Happy…Not me, Lucy."

"There's nothing we can do now Natsu." Lucy's brown eyes had tears running down her cheeks. "I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't be sorry. _I'm sorry Luce…_" Natsu whispered.

"_Hic…hic…_Lushie!" Happy cried. The exceed nuzzled his furry head into her neck. The blonde felt a tickle which caused her to smile. "Don't go."

"I'm…_cough, cough_…I'm sorry Happy. I wish that I could stay with Fairy Tail a little longer."

"Don't talk like that Lucy…You'll…you'll be fine!" Happy said. "We'll beat those dragons! And, and we'll go back home. To Fairy Tail! Yeah! And we'll take on hard jobs that Natsu chooses and Lucy will complain the entire way! And-"

"Happy." The blue cat looked at his pink-haired partner. His hand had slipped from Lucy's wound, knowing it wasn't going away. The slayer was shaking his head. "It's…no use…I…We…Oh Lucy!"

"No, Natsu, Happy. I told you how much I love Fairy Tail, right?" Her partners nodded sadly. "You both know that before, I had forgotten what a family was like. My mother had died and my father seemed to forget about me. But, when I came to Fairy Tail with you, I remembered what it was like again. Connecting with each other, having fun together, and loving everyone. That's what I had forgotten.

"You two brought me to your family and took me in. You fought from me, protected me, supported me…Loved me…And there's nothing that I could do to repay you guys."

"You already have Luce."

"Hm?"

Natsu gently pressed his head against her forehead. Onyx eyes looking deep into dull brown ones. He didn't have much time left.

"Natsu…What are you-"

"You complete us Luce. Me and Happy, even Fairy Tail. You brought laughter and light into the guild, no one would be able to replace you.

"Lucy…I…I don't know how I'll be able to cope without you. I don't think I'll be able to keep living without you…I need you with me Luce…I…"

Natsu sighed, breaking eye contact for a moment. He looked back to Lucy, his eyes glossy with unshed tears.

"_I love you Lucy._"

Lucy's breathing hitched before her dull eyes softened. She smiled warmly. "Natsu, I-"

Pain went through her body. Lucy began to twitch uncontrollably.

_No! Not yet! I…I still have to tell him! Please, not yet! Not yet!_

"Lucy!" Natsu yelled. He grabbed her body and placed her on his lap. Tears furiously streamed down his face. "Lucy! Lucy, please! Stay with me! Just for a bit longer! Lucy!"

"Lushie…" Happy cried.

"Happy…I'll miss you…I'll miss you so much. Tell-_ugh_-Fairy Tail that I love them…and that I'll watch over them."

"Lushie! No! Lushie don't go…"

Lucy smiled sadly. "I love you Happy."

Happy muffled his sobs in Lucy's side. Lucy's head throbbed with pain. She started coughing up blood. Natsu's shaky hand wiped the blood. He started stroking her face. He tried to separate the scent of Lucy's blood from her sweet scent that he loved. Natsu started taking in everything about Lucy. The curve of her neck, her nose, her golden hair, the body she's ever so proud of, her laugh, her smile, the gleam that's always in her eyes, her voice. Natsu's breathing turned heavy as he buried his nose into Lucy's hair next to her ear.

"_Luce…Oh Lucy…I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you. That I could save you Lucy…I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry My Love…_"

Lucy started gasping for air. She tried to stifle her sobs, instead they came out as slight choking coughs. She wasn't ready, as much as she's telling Natsu and Happy that she was, Lucy didn't want to leave them behind.

"Na-su…I-_ugh, cough, ahh…_" Lucy gasped out.

Flashes of her life were skimming through her eyes. The family she used to have. Her mother, father, little sister, Michelle. Her mother's death, he father's abandonment, Lucy running away. The port town of Hargeon. Meeting Natsu and Happy. Arriving and joining fairy Tail. The missions she took with her team. The good and the bad times her guild went through with her. Her family…Erza, Gray, Happy, Wendy, Juvia, Levy, Gajeel, Mira, Lisanna, Elfman, Master, and the others. Thinking about missing out on their silly antics brought more tears to the dying blonde's eyes.

"Natsu…I…I wan-ted…" Her voice was breaking She didn't have much time left. But there was more that she needed to tell him. "I…ant-d to g-on mor-ad…"

"I…" Natsu looked scared. These were Lucy's final words, and he couldn't make them out. Natsu tightened his grip on Lucy. "Lucy, I-I can't understand…I can't…"

"I-_ugh_-I wanted to go on more adventure with you, Natsu." The Dragon Slayer's eyes widened. He looked up, almost forgetting that Future Lucy was still there. But, she was slow deteriorating into golden dust.

"Lucy…"

"Natsu, they're still connected," Happy said.

Lucy chuckled. "I still wanted to hear Happy talking about fish and tease everyone about who they ll-lliked." The blonde's partners smiled. "I wanted to see Gray continuing to strip at the most random times and be confused with Juvia's feelings. I wanted to watch Erza get angry for you destroying towns and Gray's stripping habit. I wanted to finish my novel in the guild. I wanted to watch Fairy Tail rise up to #1 again." Lucy sighed, both looking to Natsu. "More importantly, I wanted to stay with you Natsu…"

"Lucy…" Natsu hugged her tight, refusing to let her go. "I wanted to be with you Lucy."

Natsu pulled away from her and pressed his lips against hers. He tasted his tears mixing with hers that fell onto her lips. The kiss was gentle but passionate. Both of them putting all of their emotions into the small kiss. Future Lucy smiled fondly at herself and Natsu.

"Live on Natsu, Fairy Tail…Live on for me," she whispered as she completely dispersed into dust.

In the present Lucy's mind as she kissed Natsu was every moment she had spent with him. When they met. When he's saved her. When he's caught and comforted her. Everything that she loved about him…

She broke the kiss, taking in her last breath to say her last words to Natsu in a whisper.

_**I love you Natsu.**_

She heart stopped beating. His world stopped. Lucy's body went cold, and Natsu knew he couldn't try to warm her up.

"Lucy…Lucy…" he said. He started to sob her name. "LUCY! LUCY! LUCY COME BACK TO ME! PLEASE!"

_Natsu…_

"Lucy!"

_Natsu._

"LUCY!"

_Natsu!_

"_LUCY!_"

_NATSU! WAKE UP PLEASE!_

"Eh?!"

* * *

Natsu shot out of bed. Sweat drench the sheets and his shirtless chest. His breathing was shallow, tears still ran down his face as he looked around.

_Lucy's apartment_, he thought.

"Natsu…Are you okay?" He felt a thin hand gripping his calloused hand. He turned to see a blonde woman kneeling by the bed. Her face was full of fear and her doe brown eyes were tearing up. "Natsu-"

"Lucy!" The Dragon Slayer grabbed Lucy's hand and pulled her into a tight hug. "Lucy…" He breathed in her sweet scent. _No blood…Then, that means-_

"Oh, Natsu. It was just a nightmare…I'm fine…I'm safe. Talk to me Natsu."

Natsu swallowed. "It…it was in the castle…Rogue…killed you. I…God, Lucy, I couldn't save you."

His grip on Lucy tightened. Lucy felt tears on her bare shoulder that was covered by a thin strap from her nightgown. She shifted from her spot on the floor to sit on Natsu's lap. His arms snaked around Lucy's torso, burying his face into her chest as she ran her hand through his pink locks. The other hand was stroking his cheek with her thumb.

"Natsu, it's just a dream. It won't happen. You'll always be there for me," Lucy cooed. "I'm always safe with you."

"And what if I don't Lucy?! What if I can't make it in time?!" Natsu yelled.

"I believe in you, right?" The blonde pushed Natsu back so she could look into his eyes. Tears continued to fall from his onyx eyes. Lucy's fingers gingerly wiped his eyes. She brought his chin up so that he would look into her eyes as she pressed her forehead against his. "_I _believe in you Natsu, isn't that enough."

"Lucy…"

"Remember at the Magic Games, before the war, I've always believed in you since the day I met you. I never doubted you, so why do you have to doubt yourself? If I believe in you, no matter what, isn't that enough for you?"

Natsu shakily chuckled. He placed a hand on Lucy's neck while the other held her right hand as his thumb rubbed against her pink guild mark.

"You always know what to say, huh?" he mumbled.

"Just for you."

He sighed and closed his eyes "Luce…It's just that, if something like that happens, if I can't protect you, if I can't _save _you…What would I live for? If I let you die, how could I live with myself? I can't live without you Lucy…I love you Lucy…I just, couldn't do it. Not without you."

Lucy stroked his jaw line before placing a kiss on it. "I love you too Natsu. I won't leave you anytime soon, I promise. So, _please_, for me, don't say that you won't make it, because I know you will. Okay?"

Natsu nodded, "Hm. Just as long as you stay by my side, Luce."

"Of course."

Natsu grinned before pushing his lips against Lucy's, catching her off guard. She smiled softly before kissing the Dragon Slayer back. The miss was gentle, but passionate. The simple kiss held all of the feelings Natsu couldn't express in words. It held the unsaid promise of the two.

_**I won't leave you…**_

_**So don't leave me.**_

Natsu broke the kissed pecked forehead. Lucy smiled before she turned away to stifle a yawn. Natsu laughed, Lucy playfully glared. He grinned at her, pulling her down onto his chest on the bed.

"Let's go to bed Lucy."

"Mm-hm."

Natsu grabbed Lucy's covers and pulled them over their bodies. Lucy snuggled up to Natsu's warmth as she laid her head on his chest. Natsu wrapped an arm around her waist, keeping her close, and kissed her head. His other hand held her right hand tightly.

He looked down to the sleeping beauty on his chest. Natsu promised that he would keep her safe. To protect her as long as he was still breathing. But, he had live for her…To be with Lucy. She meant everything to him, so he would keep her happy for the rest of their lives, Even if it meant living for her and not dying for her. Natsu rested his head softly on Lucy's before sleep overtook him.

"Goodnight Luce."

"Goodnight Natsu. I love you."

"I love you too Luce."

_**THE END**_


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